The present invention relates generally to a rotary machine for picking off a tray, or the like, and placing it at a circumferentially spaced position, and more particularly, the invention relates to a rotary picking off and placement machine which is particularly adapted to pick off deeper drawn trays than heretofore possible and delivering them to one or more circumferentially spaced positions.
Rotary placers for picking off flat sheets, and the like, and rotating them to delivery positions which are circumferentially spaced from the supply of the sheets are well known in the art. A particular example of such machines is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,946 to Anderson and entitled, "Rotary Coupon Placer". As disclosed in that patent, coupons, in the form of flat sheets, are picked up from a coupon supply hopper by means of a vacuum cup and delivered to a second position whereat the coupon is deposited into a carton. Upon picking off a coupon, as shown in the patent, the coupon is rotated about a shaft which, in turn, is rotated about a drive shaft. Thus, the coupon is subjected to rotation about two axes and the suction cup slides into position along an arc. This machine is quite successful in picking up and placing thin articles, such as the coupons illustrated.
However the machine is inadequate when a dipping action is desired to pick up and handle the article, which action is necessary in order to successfully handle deep drawn articles such as trays, or the like. Further, the machine is inadequate for successfully attaching a sheet into the bottom of a tray, or the like. This deficiency is characteristic of other rotary pick and place machines in the marketplace.
In order to successfully pick off deep drawn articles, as distinguished from flat sheets or the like, it would be desirable to cause the suction cups to dip into the article by substantially perpendicular movement relative to the article at the supply station and to deliver the article to a second station whereat the machine can again dip the article toward a sheet or the like to be glued onto the article. Further, it would be desired to use a dipping movement and deliver the article to a placement station. The dipping action at such station can facilitate collection of the articles. Known pick and place machines do not provide this dipping action, but rather, cause the pick off means to sweep onto the face of the article along an arc, remove it from a supply station and sweep it into a circumferentially spaced station.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved rotary pick and placement machine for picking off articles and delivering them in a circumferentially spaced position.
A further object of the invention is to provide a pick and placement machine which can effectively pick off deep drawn articles by means of a dipping action which causes the pick off means to move generally radially into an article at a station and to radially discharge the article at a circumferentially spaced placement station.
It is a still further object of the invention to be able to move a suction cup or the like radially toward and away from articles in a loading station and to move such articles radially toward and away from a second station whereat the article may be acted upon and deliver the article to a third station by like radial in and out motion.